Collapsible tube having folded end



April 5, 1932. c, J, w s I 1,852,225

COLLAPSIBLE TUBE HAVING FOLDED END Filed April 29, 1931 i czar/6; JW J/Z'a. '2 a 1 WWW Patented Apr. 5, 1932 I UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES J. wESTIN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB TO I. J. STOKES MACHINE COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA COLLAPSIBLE TUBE HAVING FOLDED END Application filed April 29, 1981. Serial No. 533,605.

The subject of my invention is a collapsible tube such as is commonly used for pasty products including toothpaste and shaving soap. My invention relates to a means for closing the lower ends of such tubes or theends opposite to those from which the material in the tube is taken out. For this purpose I provide a reversely bent fold having corrugations therein.

For a further exposition of my invention reference may be had to the annexed drawings and specification at the end whereof my invention will be specifically pointed out and claimed.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is atop plan view of one end of a 1ituie to which my invention has been app e Figure 2is a side elevation of a portion of a tube. I

Figure 3 is an end elevation, and

Figures 4, 5, 6 and 7 are diagrammatic views showing one method by which my improved fold can be made.

In the drawings, my device is shown as consisting of a collapsible tube, generally indicated at 1, which may conveniently be made of a soft metal or alloy of metals which is readily squeezed, bent and rolled by hand. Such tubes are in common use as containers for pasty products, notatably for toothpaste and shaving soap. Such tubes commonly have at one end a screw-threaded cap or other closure and are commonly filled through the opposite or bottom end which is then closed in any convenient manner. It is to a new and improved method of closing this bottom end that my invention is addressed.

I prefer to provide a tube having an excessive length beyond the point to which it is filled. The -end beyond the point to which the tube is filled may then be compressed or flattened together as best seen at 2 in Figure 4 to form a standing portion. pressed ends may then be bent at 3 into the dotted line position in Figure 4. Next the folded ends 2 may be bent at 5 in the opposite direction to which they were bent at 3. The folded ends 2 may then conveniently be bent back upon each other at 6 and the doubled The comend thus provided may conveniently be bent at 7 so as to provide a fold which is doubled in thickness or reversely bent about the flat tened or standing portion of the tube 1 from which it was made. The folded ends 2 may then be conveniently corrugated or fluted as shown at 8 in Figures 1 and 2.

A feature of my invention is found in the fact that I rovide a fold which is reversely bent upon itself to provide an equal thickness in each side of the flattened end of the tube from which it is made.

Another feature of my invention, which will be apparent from the drawings and specification, is that the corrugations or fiutings 8 may be disposed at an angle to the axis of the tube instead of parallel to the axis as shown in Figure 2.

of my invention save as the scope of the prior art and of the attached claims may require. I

I claim: I

1. A collapsible tube having a flattened end and fold of equal thickness on each side of said flattened end and characterized by an intermediate reverse bend or tuck flattened against one side of the tube, and b alterminal bend or tuck flattened against the other side of the tube.

2. A collapsible tube of metal having'one end closed by a flattened portion and bya fold of equal thickness on either side-of said flattened portion, said fold being corrugated and characterized by an intermediate reverse bend or tuck flattened against one side of the tube, and by a terminal bend or tuck flattened against the other side of the tube.

3. A closure for a. collapsible tube comprising a continuous fold in the collapsed wall of the tube of the full width thereof and including a reverse bend flattened against one side of the tube and an inturned end flattened against the other side of the tube.

4. A tube closure comprising a V-shaped clip of the width of the tube and consisting of a continuous fold in the collapsed wall of the tube,"said fold comprising a reverse bend in the collapsed portion on one side of the closure and an inturned end portion on the other side of the closure for the purpose and with the result of balancing the metal section. v

5. A tubeclosui'e comprising a continuous 5, fold in the collapsed wall of the tube providing a symmetrical V-shaped clip of the width of the tube, the body of said clip being of the thickness of the collapsed wall of thetube and, the legs of the clip being of twice the thickness of the walls of the tube, and the wall of one leg being a continuation of the walls of the tube, and the wall of the other leg being inturned.

6. A collapsible tube sealed by making a tuck in the flattened end a predetermined distance from the end and the remaining free portion below the standing part doubled on itself so that the end will meet the end of the standing part, and then bending the thus formed single fold over the end of the standing part onto the side of the standing part opposite to the side on which the tuck was laid, thus forming a clip from the tube walls themselves of equal number of laps on each side of the standing part and extending the full width of the tube.

7. A collapsible tube sealed by having a flattened portion doubled on itself a distance approximately equal to the finished fold and a tuck across the full width of the tube at such a distance from the end of the tube that the new end of the standing part will meet the end of the bent over portion and then folding the bent over portion up.

on the side of the standing part opposite to the side on which the tuck was laid thus forming a clip from the tube walls themselves which is of equal thickness on both sides of the standing part, and extending the full width of the tube. e

CHARLES J. WESTIN. 

